Truck



June 16, 1925 T. J. AHEXANDER Filed March arm-neg.

enema June 16, 1925.

iJNlTED ST 1 TES 1,542,023 PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. ALEXANDER, -OF SELMIA, CALIFORNIA.

TRUCK.

Application filed March 15, 1924.

To ail whom it meg; concern-.-

Be it known that I, Trionms J. ALEXAN- n'nn. a citizen of the UnitedSthtes, residing at Selma. in the mnuity of Fresno and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Truck, of which aspecification is set forth below.

In this specification, and the accompanying drawing, I shall describeand show a preferred form of my invention, and specifically mentioncertain of its more important objects. I do not limit myself to theforms disclosed, since various changes and adaptations may be madetherein without departing from the of my invention as hereinafterclaimed; and objects and advan tages, other than those specificallymentioned. are included within its scope.

My invention relates to trucks having load discharging meansincorporated therein, particularly hand trucks used for warehousing andstevedoring purposes. My principal objects in'the invention include;first, to provide a device of this nature that is especially adapted forrapid and convenient handlin of sacks. well as package or other freight;second, to furnish facilities for discharging the load in true verticalalignment so that the goods may be closely piled, and thus utilize thewarehouse space to the fullestextent; third, to overcome the presentnecessity for tipping the load oil the truck with the accompanyingdanger of breakage and disorderlyarrangement of the goods; fourth, to'secure greater ease of handling goods; and, fifth, to accomplish theabove in a slim ,ple and rugged construction that'niay be depended uponto function in the manner intended.

ll ly objects attained in the manner illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of myimproved truck in discharging position. with the load board removed andonly indicated by dotted lines;

elevation in longitudinal Figure 2 is a side Fig. 1.

section, taken on the linev of showing a stack loaded; and

Figure is a iew similar to Fig. 2 after the sacks have been unloaded andthe truck is disengaged.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi* lar arts throughout theseveral views.

invention is applicable to many kinds of sacks ready to be un Serial No.699,539.

of hand trucks now in common use, and I have selected one of these forillustrative purposes. In this a pair of slightly divergingsidc members4, suitably spaced by cross bars 5, constitute the frame. A pair ofwheels (3 arc imu'nalled to the latter at the forward end. It is usualin such trucks to employ a U-shaped blade for picking up and retainingthe load, but I have found that the use of this is very objectionablewhere sacks are to he handled, and that it is entirely unnecessary forother classes of freight.

In my truck I make use of a steel plate blade 7, tapered in section to athin outer edge and having its other ed e turned at nearly a right angleto form a ange 8. This flange can conveniently be attached to the truckframe by means of countersunk flushheadcd bolts 9. and serves to stiffenthe-blade as well as the truck frame. I prefer to make the angle of thisblade with respect 'to the truck frame somewhat greater than is usuallythe case, so that when unloading position as shown, the inclination ofthe load departs very slightly from the vertical. and is less than theangle of repose. There is then no tendency for the load to slide off theblade. The use of the plate blade makes it impossible for the load tocatch or stick when it is being unloaded.

A bifurcated unloading lever 10 is intermediately pivoted to the sidemembers of the frame by the through bolt 11. tubular spacers 12 beingemployed to center it. The lower ends of the lever are pivotallyconnected to a Ustrap 13 attached to the back of load board 14. Theshapes, dimensions, and points of attachment of the unloading lever andU-strap are so chosen that the lever and load board will be parallel toeach other and the frame of the truck when the latter i loaded as shownin Fig. 2. When it is desired to discl'uirge the load, the truck beinglip-Glldfll us in the figures, the unloading lover is pushed down. 'ardas in Fig. 3. This auscs the load board to move forward with rbspert tothe frame, and assume a vertical position. while pushing the truckbackward from under the loud. The latter is thus deposited in verticalalignment upon the ware house floor.

A chain 15 connects the upper end of the load board to the frame for theobvious purpose of keeping the board from falling forward when the truckis backed away from the discharged load. but is not otherwise rethetruck is into depart from the above the load u its blado, rather thantoyush the load orward oil of the blade. The

load inthe upended position of the truck is thus brou ht up to the pointit is to be deposited an the truck blade is pushed out from under leavinthe load at the oxaot o ti'o ing of the truck 18 position desired:required to fr es the, h ado in unloading. Also no straightening orre-arrimging the lie is necessary after depositing, since it isdischarged in perfect vo'rtical ali ment.

There are times whonit may he esirahle procedure and push the load 05the blade. Furthermore there are times when it is desired to mahouse ofthe load board to straighten up a poorly deposited or disarranged pile,or to move it closer to th adjacent pile. For such purposes I haveprovided a special ohockingdevim which cooperates with the other partsfor securing such results.

The Checking device oompxi%s a chock bar 16 attached m a pair of curvedarms 17' having slots at their outer ends, The arms are pivowi throughtheir slots to the side, members of the truck at 19. Tension springs 20are. attached to the arms and truck frame in suoh a way as to tend tokoep the chooli har either in its upper position shown in Fig. 2, or itslower. osh tior shown in Fig. 3. In the latter case tho-springs and topull tho chock bar undor and against the wheels. Slots 18 permit of thisbeing done. irrespeztive of any hick of perfect adjustment or wear oftho giants. v

The wheels of the truck may eii'ective-l be checked in the manner justCiiQSlZIibQi and lever 10 may then be used to exert a strong uniform.pressure upon theload for (lisoharging itor for strai htoning up idisarraxigedpilo. The choc "bar may be oporatod by the foot, either forraising or lowering it, and the springs will maintain it in either. ofits normal positions.

It will be apparent to those familiar with Lmot advantages for handlingmaterial oonven iently and safely. There is no neoewity for -1 tiltingthe upended load to free the truck, or for jarring the load indepositing it. Breakage is thus largely eliminated. 1 par ticularlydesire to call attention to the fact that warehouse spaoe is much morefully utilized by the use of my improved truck on account of theaccurate and very close piling made possiblein the way described.

I claim as my invontion:

1. A wheeled truck having o. continuous load bed and {adapted for beingnp-eridod, and for clisioilarging its freight in that po sition byforwardly projecting its load-hed.

2. A wheeled truck adaptor! for being up ended, and for discharging itsfreight iii that position by Wholly advancing its load bed with res t toits frame.

3. A wheeod truck adapted for hein upended, and for discharging itsfreig t in that position by forwardly projecting its load-bedr'saidtruck having pivoted means for chocking its wheels while so discharging.

A wheeled truck adapted for being upended, and, in that sition, fordischarging its freight stmke in vertical alignment by forwardlyadvancing its load-bed; said. truck having a slot-pivoted shook adaptedfor restraining its wheels while so discharg- 5. A wheeled truck adaptedfor being up ended, and for discharging and vertically aligninfi itsfreight while in that position. by forwar 1y odvanoing its load-bed;said truclr having a slot-pivoted chock adapted fonrostraining itswheels while so discharging, and for normally remaining either inneutral or shocking position.

6. A wheeled truck adapted for liming upended, and, whilo in th ntposition, for discharging and vei'i-iciilly aligning freight by means ofa lever operated load-bed that may he" forwardly advanced from the truckframe; said truck having aslot-pivoted shook Frovided with spring meansfor HOP molly iolding it either in neutral or chocking position, andadapted for restraining the wheels of the truck While discharging oraligning freight.

THOMAS J. ALEXANDER.

